As a Virginia business owner it is important to become familiar with Virginia state laws and regulations that govern or affect your business. Whether you need help setting up your business’ legal structure, protecting your ideas, or with equity and debt financing, commercial transactions or general business counseling, attorneys will assist you both in facilitating the conduct of your business and in assuring that you are complying with applicable laws in Virginia.

It is vital to hire a Virginia attorney and establish a relationship with that lawyer before you have a situation that requires a Virginia lawyer’s expertise. It is much easier and less risky to structure something at the outset than to try to unwind or correct it later.

You will want a Virginia attorney whose experience meets the needs of your business, whose fees you can afford and with whom you personally feel comfortable. The lawyer should have a proven track record, be accessible to you and have at least some familiarity with your industry. As lawyers are becoming more specialized, you will have to evaluate whether you should work with a solo practitioner, small law firm or large law firm.

Larger Virginia law firms have the advantage of having all the legal skills you may need “under one roof” and they often have valuable contacts at the local, state and even federal levels. Large Virginia law firms tend to be more expensive because their overhead is higher and they are generally in greater demand and thus can justify the greater fees.

Consider the following when you are looking for a Virginia attorney:

1. Ask colleagues in your type of business for a referral.
2. Use an online guide, such as FindLaw, to start your search.
3. Meet in person with the Virginia lawyer you think you want to select before you hire him or her.
4. When you hire a lawyer who is part of a Virginia law firm, make it clear that you expect him or her to be available to you and at least to be familiar with what is going on in your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use Virginia attorneys as a resource

Your lawyer in Virginia will be able to help guide you through the laws of Virginia that are important regarding running your type of business or company. You want your attorney to be able to guide you in areas including contracts, the organization of your business, leases, and taxes and licenses as they pertain to your business.

I recommend: Hunton & Williams LLP, which is a top-tier, full service, nationally known firm headquartered in Richmond that can provide assistance in any area of business law. It also has offices in other parts of the country in the event you need assistance elsewhere. LeClairRyan, with offices in a number of Virginia cities, including Alexandria, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Roanoke, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg (as well as in Washington, D.C. and several other cities in the United States), is another excellent firm to use that can also service virtually all your business law needs. If you run a fast-growing entrepreneurial company and are in the position at some point to be purchased or to go public, their lawyers are experts at handling these types of transactions and are well-respected in the investment banking and venture capital communities.

Protect your intellectual property by working with a Virginia law firm that specializes in this area

Whether you are in software or hardware creation, media design or any other type of technological or creative business, your lawyer can help you file and prosecute your patents and register your products and services for trademark and copyright protection. This will assure that the ideas that are yours remain yours.

I recommend: I recommend Young & Thompson or Bacon & Thomas, both headquartered in Alexandria, who can assist you in all areas of intellectual property.

Become familiar with Virginia state law in regards to employment and labor law

Your Virginia lawyers should be able to guide you in all aspects of the laws in Virginia, including federal and labor law. Laws regarding payment of employees, treatment of employees and non-discriminatory practices are constantly evolving. Your Virginia attorney will make sure you are up to date on all the rules and regulations and are following the law.

I recommend: For labor and employment law contact Sands Andrews Marks & Miller, P.C., headquartered in Richmond, with other offices handling these practice areas in Blacksburg, Fredericksburg and McLean. I also recommend the Employment Practice Group of Williams Mullen, a larger, full service firm headquartered in Richmond. It has offices with employment law practices in Charlottesville, McLean, Newport News, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.

Be familiar with VA law regarding tax preparation and filing for your business tax returns

Your Virginia lawyer should understand the tax consequences of the basic business practices in which your business engages. Most corporate law firms, including those recommended above, have experts in tax law.

I recommend: If you’d like a boutique firm that specializes in tax law, I recommend Freed & Shepherd, P.C., in Richmond, VA. Burton J. Haynes, P.C. also specializes in Virginia tax law.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Do all of the research to be certain your lawyer is in good standing.
• •  Discuss, in advance, with your Virginia lawyer how you will be billed for his or her time and, if by the hour, what the rates are for each lawyer who will work on your matters. In that way you won't be surprised when you receive invoices. Also make sure you understand whether the lawyer will require an upfront retainer from you before commencing services.
• •  Always be prepared when meeting with your lawyer. Knowing the questions you want to ask or having the documents or other materials that he or she has requested will save both time and money.